


A Most Malevolent Lie

by Amenaangharad



Category: Soy Luna (TV)
Genre: AU, Abandoned Child, Abandonment Issues, Actions have consequences!, Adopted, Adopted Child, Adoption, Character Study-Luna, Character Study-Ámbar, Child emotional neglect, F/M, Luna has a bit more backbone, Luna is deep, Luna should have more questions, Noble AU, Not Canon Compliant, Searching for birth parents, Season 2 AU, Season 3 AU, Simon is a good friend, introspective, royal au, Ámbar is amazing, Ámbar is deep, Ámbar is trying
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-21 01:48:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30014262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amenaangharad/pseuds/Amenaangharad
Summary: Ámbar is slowly settling into her role as the next Queen of Argentina, not just the Queen of the Rink. The hole inside her formed by her godmother, or mother, or aunt, or whatever Sharon Benson was to her (who also neglected to tell her she was Sharon Bilder, Queen Regnant of Argentina), is slowly starting to fill as she allows herself to be loved by her friends, her new family, and even opening up to Luna. And maybe, maybe, she'll feel at peace with herself.Luna is close. She is so close. Soon she'll find out the truth about why she was abandoned. She'll figure out what was wrong with her as a child to cause such drastic actions to be taken. She'll finally know. Then maybe she'll be happy. And these dreams about the mansion will stop haunting her. And maybe, maybe, she'll feel at peace with herself.If only Sharon wasn't playing such a dangerous game with the hearts of teenage girls and the fate of a nation.
Relationships: Matteo Balsano/Luna Valente, Simón Álvarez/Ámbar Smith
Comments: 3
Kudos: 15





	1. Prologue

The country wept upon hearing the news that their beloved monarchs, King Bernardo and Queen Lili, had died in a fire in their undisclosed Buenos Aires mansion, where they often retreated from public life. The so-called “Lights of Argentina” had burnt out, and all that had survived the burning of the family home were Sharon, eldest daughter of Lord Ambassador Alfredo Bilder, and the jewel of Argentina, Princess Sol Benson. 

Weeping became wailing as news spread that Sol had, in fact, vanished. No one could find the child’s body, and many believed that she had simply turned to ash. Don Alfredo and Lady Sharon were beside themselves with grief over what had become of their family.

And so the nation mourned the loss of their royal family, and before infighting amongst the remainder of the aristocracy could begin, and per the will of King Bernardo, Lady Sharon was crowned Queen-Regnant Sharon Bilder, unable to fully be queen until the state either found the body of little Sol, or she was declared dead in absentia. Even after the mandatory five year period in which someone could not be declared legally dead, Queen Sharon refused to have a second coronation, out of the sheer hope that maybe, maybe, Sol would be found.

As the years passed, public appearances of the monarch became shorter and fewer. She was said to live in the palace, mourning the death of her family. However, she was a shrewd business woman and brilliant monarch, and her policies only helped the country flourish. No one begrudged the queen her privacy after the tragedy that had befallen the Benson family.

The Benson mansion was rebuilt, and Sharon opted to live there as Sharon Benson. The last name, despite being that of the previous monarchs, wasn’t all that uncommon, and since the Queen never appeared in public without a veil of mourning, no one made the connection. And those that did were paid handsomely for their silence or never heard from again. At a young age, Ámbar Smith was sent to live in the mansion with her madrina Sharon by her far too busy parents. There, she learned all about the propriety and decorum a woman needed to be the next Lady Ambassador of her godmother’s house, though she was under strict instruction to keep the truth of her parentage a secret.

Around the time of the arrival of Ámbar Smith to Buenos Aires, a young girl not yet three years old was abandoned at a Mexican orphanage with only a crescent moon locket to identify her. She was adopted by two loving parents and lived a normal, full, happy life as Luna Valente. She grew up skating the streets of Cancún, an average, if not fatally distracted student. Her parents, a chef and a manager of a mansion, were contracted by its new owner to move to her permanent residence in Buenos Aires, Argentina for double their salary and the tuition to one of the best schools in the world for their daughter. There Luna was also saved by the son of the Lord Ambassador Balsano of Italy when bringing a delivery to Ámbar at the mansion.

Blake South College was the secondary school for South America’s nobility and fabulously wealthy. Children had been sent there for generations from across the continent, and a very strict rule had been set in place by the Bensons who had originally funded the school in its inception. Children enrolled there were treated as if they were children taken right off the street. They were held to high academic, social, athletic, musical, and behavioral standards, of course, but there was to be no preferential treatment or use of titles, ever. The founding funders wished for the children that went there to get a taste of the real world, and to know the people as their peers. So from a young age, children enrolled there were mixed in with nobility, commoners, rich, poor, and middle class alike. And it worked. Graduates of Blake were renowned as well mannered, polite, and champions of the common man, despite any status they held. 

Luna mixed in relatively well, making friends with Nina, the voice of the beloved FelicityForNow and daughter of famed lawyer Ana Simonetti, Yim, and Lady Jimena of Spain. Her best friend Simón quickly followed her and formed a band with Pedro and the heir to the Navarro family, Nico. Skating and school soon became her life, going on to win the Intercontinental with the Roller team. At the mansion, Luna also came to find the other half of her medallion, a sun that fit perfectly in the crescent moon.

Time passed with ups and downs, loves won and lost, as Luna tried harder and harder to uncover just why she was abandoned and who she really was outside of the name Luna Valente. Enlisting her parents and her two closest friends, Luna was slowly piecing together her past, and when an announcement from the queen about Argentina’s lost princess having finally returned appeared in the news, no one really knew just how much that would change their lives.

As Ámbar Smith slowly stepped into the role of the beloved and adored Sol Benson, no longer needing to fight tooth and nail to be accepted and loved, she slowly opened up to the only other adopted person she knew, Luna Valente, and deepened a surprising connection with Simón Álvarez. Her relationships with her other long-time friends, noblewomen Jazmín and Delfi, also grew stronger with the realization that the hole she always felt in her life was from her family’s dark and tragic past.

If only this were the end of the story. If only Princess Ámbar were able to continue on this path to discovering her true identity. If only she were able to continue softening and opening up to this beautiful soul underneath all her snark and desperation for admiration. If only this was the truth.

It is painful to admit this, but the loved Queen Sharon, while known to be sharp and cold at the worst of times, hides a most dark and evil secret from everyone. The girl she has paraded to the country and to the world at large as the returned Princess Sol is in fact no princess at all. She was not born royalty. She was born to a common woman who could not take care of a young daughter anymore. 

Queen Sharon is playing a dangerous game not only with the heart of an already broken teenage girl, but with the fate of a nation.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to the Soy Luna discord server and to Sapphire in particular for their support on this fic! It means the world to me!

_ Your real name is Sol Benson. _ Ámbar would never be able to get those words out of her head. Her godmother, no,  _ aunt _ , had looked so scared and so vulnerable when she said it that Ámbar was afraid something terrible was happening to them. It turns out to be the most wonderful thing to happen to them in a long, long time. 

And finally, finally, she felt  _ good _ about herself. When was the last time she felt good about herself? Ámbar really couldn’t remember. She’d never been enough for her aunt, and being left with nannies that were paid to care for her hurt more than she’d like to admit. Once she was old enough to stay in the house with only the basic staff, a maid, a chef, a secretary, a gardener, and a driver, of course, Sharon had dispensed with the nannies all together as an unnecessary expense.

And Aunt Sharon never liked unnecessary expenses. Ever. Ámbar may have been rich, but she knew her spending was carefully budgeted by her aunt and once she reached a point, she was not allowed more for a month. Which often sucked because if she couldn’t feel anything from her aunt, she could feel something from being the best and having the best, which meant money spent on clothes and jewelry and skates. 

And she just  _ loved _ skating. Really, she did. She wouldn’t have put the effort in to be the best of the best if she hadn’t loved it. Skating was pure skill, talent, and dedication. She didn’t feel like she was flying like Luna often effused. No, she felt grounded and free, as if she were able to step off of a pedestal she had been chained to before. 

Finding out that she was Sol was the last blow needed to free her from the fate that she had resigned herself to: never being enough for her godmother, and never feeling love or joy. As Sol, she was enough not just for one person, but for a whole nation. They had never seen Ámbar, Sharon had made sure of that, but those who knew (and were under express instruction and NDAs not to release this information) had flocked to her in support. 

The public knew that Sol would appear before them once she had completed school and the normal childhood that she had grown used to. No one wanted to put more pressure on this newly found royal, except the tabloids that were always hinting at something or other. As much as she said she was ready to her aunt, Ámbar really appreciated the fact that Sharon was offering this to her. She was terrified that one day she’d mess up so bad that no one would forgive her. Sharon had told her more than once that all the extra schooling and training she had given Ámbar was to prepare her for the role of a princess, but Ámbar knew she’d never feel ready enough. She didn’t remember being a princess, she didn’t know enough, she wasn’t graceful or kind enough, and one day, she’d royally screw up.

She already had though. Burning down the rink was not something she had ever intended, ever. She loved the Jam and Roller. It was her place to get away, even when she had felt that Luna was encroaching on it and taking everything from her. This was her safe space from Sharon, from Blake, from herself. She never meant to burn it down, just to stop everything for once. Get rid of the ridiculous cameras and reclaim the safe feeling that the rink had given her. Vidia could die in a hole for all she cared. 

But she cared. Ámbar cared so much. She cared what people thought of her. She cared whether or not they loved her. She cared what they said. She cared whether or not they thought of her at all. Nothing bad could ever get back to Sharon, ever. The consequences of that would utterly  _ break _ Ámbar if that were to occur. So she lived in terror that someone would find out, and that someone would tell and she’d be ruined. One mistake was all it took. Sharon had drilled that into her niece from a young age. You can only make one mistake for people to look at you differently. One mistake and you’re done for. The people in your life will not tolerate such immense failure. 

And then came Simón. And Simón was the absolute best thing that had ever happened to her. She had lost Delfi and Jazmín after a plan completely unravelled, and she thought she’d crumble. But Simón, Simón was there. He held her together. They sang together and they laughed together. He invited her to go to things with him and Luna, the latter of which was surprised at first, but then welcomed her fellow adoptee with open arms, listening to her when she desperately wished she had a sister to listen to all of her woes and fears and insecurities. And Luna, even if she didn’t agree, she didn’t judge Ámbar. Of course, she knew what she felt when it came to the pain of not knowing and of wondering why. Unfortunately for Luna, she still didn’t know, but she was willing to be there for Ámbar when she needed it. 

She auditioned for Vidia’s soloist contest, but as much as she loved singing, her heart wasn’t in it. Ámbar needed to learn to run a country, and she needed the grades to be able to study in Paris. Argentina was rather unique in its government, but the Bensons had been catapulted to the royal seat by the people. They had always been the people’s kings, and Ámbar would be no different. Hopefully.

Ámbar was shaken out of her thoughts as the countdown began, and everyone else in the Roller started to chant along. Really, she knew she wasn’t going to make it. She’d bought dislikes for her video on purpose. She didn’t want to make it anymore. If she did, people would just accuse her of buying likes, and they’d also never stop thinking of her as the girl who would betray even her best friends just to end up on top. It saddened Ámbar to know this was true, but if she kept her head down and persevered, maybe, maybe she’d get out the other side clean. 

Simón and Luna both shot her sympathetic looks when her picture darkened, but Ámbar was fine with this. Personally, she was rooting for Simón. She found that she craved that excited smile on his face, and the laughter that came out of that beautiful smile. She knew she was supposed to be getting closer to Simón to stop him from getting closer to Jazmín, under the guise of helping Jazmín get closer to him, but at that moment, Ámbar realized that she didn’t care. She didn’t have a plan and she didn’t want one. She just wanted to see Simón happy.

And then he took her hand, and Ámbar couldn’t stop the small smile that blossomed as Simón looked to her for comfort and hope. No one had ever looked to her for those things before. They just wanted money or popularity or things from her. But they never, ever looked to her for real friendship and love. Jazmín and Delfi knew that what emotional help they needed, they did not go to Ámbar for. And Ámbar found that she reveled in being needed by someone. No, Simón had Luna, and Nina, and the band. He didn’t need her quiet support. He  _ wanted _ it. And that mattered.

The cheers burst her eardrums as the Roller went crazy for Simón and Matteo. They were the finalists! She didn’t even care when Simón pulled her into a tight hug, his happiness infectious and Ámbar found herself laughing along with him. His grin made everything worth it. She knew then that there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for Simón, and she was entirely okay with that.

~

Luna couldn’t believe it. Simón and Matteo, both incredibly deserving artists, had qualified as finalists! She didn’t care about the fighting she’d been doing with Matteo almost constantly. In that moment, she was thrilled for the both of them, and gave Simón the hug he deserved as her best friend. Then she turned to Matteo and pulled the taller man into a hug. “Congratulations, Chico Fresa. You earned this!” 

Luna was a loud person. Everyone around her knew this. When she whispered, it was usually because she wasn’t supposed to be doing something. However this was for Matteo alone. He really had earned it all on his own, without his rich boy status or cocky attitude, and he could make his father proud with this. He could show him that music could lead to a happy and successful career, just as much as Oxford could. 

As she pulled away from Matteo, she couldn’t help the soft smile that had replaced her bright one. He needed this, Luna knew, he needed this and she wouldn’t take it away from him for anything. 

Someone cried out for drinks as Juliana explained that the two of them would compete in a duel for Vidia execs to judge. Naturally, someone had to ask who she was rooting for, as if Luna would ever choose one over another. Before she could answer, someone brought juices and a topic change, and Luna relaxed, grateful that she didn’t have to answer that.

As Ámbar and Luna rode back to the mansion together, the atmosphere was quiet and peaceful, both of them happy for the first time in a while, and able to simply relax. Their crazy driver chatted away as always, but at least he was just background noise at this point. Luna went to enter through the servants’ door to tell her parents the happy news, and to ask if Simón could come over to celebrate with Mexican food, when she noticed Ámbar reluctant to get out of the car.

“Ámbar? Are you okay?”

“Hm? Oh, sorry Lunita. I was just lost in thought is all.”

“Be careful or you’ll become just as distracted as Don Alfredo or I!” The tease had no bite as Luna smiled. “Hey, I know you missed dinner with Señora Benson tonight, so would you like to come eat with us?”

Luna knew that Sharon Benson did not tolerate much, and eating with the employees was pretty much forbidden, but Ámbar didn’t look as if she should be alone right now. Luna knew, of course, that Ámbar was really the crown princess of Argentina, but to her, she was still just Ámbar. She wasn’t exactly her friend, and she’d tried to ruin her on more than one occasion, but she was also someone with whom she shared a unique bond in their mutual adoption and lack of knowledge about their birth parents. 

Ámbar didn’t answer, so Luna simply grabbed her hand and pulled her through the back entrance. Miguel looked up and gave his daughter a smile as he opened his arms for a hug. “So? How’d it go?”

Mónica, however, noticed the young lady and smiled. “Señorita Ámbar! Would you like something for dinner?” The woman couldn’t help the motherly feelings she had for the blonde. Seeing Ámbar alone so often worried her, and if Mónica had her way, the girl would be with the rest of them a lot more often. 

“Oh, Mónica, I—” 

“She’s eating with us tonight, Mama, if that’s okay with you?” Luna didn’t give Ámbar the time to finish, else she would turn down anything offered to her out of instinct.

“Oh, okay! Wash up, honey, and then we’ll eat. You too, Señorita Ámbar. Don’t want it to get cold.”

Miguel gave her a look, but Mónica didn’t respond. She’d get the story out of her daughter later. God knows that Ámbar needed a decent family meal.

And as they all sat down to eat, that was exactly what they had. A nice, lovely, lively meal where skating and music and laughter resounded through the large kitchen and warmed the hearts of all who heard it. There were no boundaries or lines between station and money and service. It was a family affair, and Ámbar, despite everything, fit right in with everyone as if she’d been part of the Valente family her whole life. And she loved every minute of it, though she’d never admit it out loud to anyone. It was a happy, family affair for all involved, and they’d never have it any other way.

And the Lord knows they needed it, especially with what was to come.


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Roller Gala, before, during, and after.

Luna was nervous. Really nervous. One of the two most important people in her life was going to win tonight, and the other was going to lose. And people would expect things from her. That’s one of the few things Luna truly hated. She hated when people would expect things from her, as if she were some vending machine designed to have people insert a please and get rewarded with unrepaid favors. 

People would expect her to cry with one and cheer for the other. And she’d do it, of course, because how could she not? It was Simón and Matteo, who were about to launch music careers! How could she not be filled with happiness? But something inside her burned at the thought. She’d gladly support them both, but for the love of God, they needed to stop making her choose! No one could choose! 

And no one understood that! No one understood what it was like for her, to have this giant empty space inside where her past and her parents had vacated, and no matter how hard she tried, how much she loved, or how much she smiled, it was never full. She was always empty, even if she was shining on the rink or gleaming on the stage. She could and would smile for everyone, but the closer she got, constantly finding another hurdle in front of the knowledge of who she was, the not knowing was killing her.

If Ámbar noticed, she didn’t say anything. Instead, she was happily brushing Luna’s hair and helping to pull it into a beautiful chignon that Luna had no idea how to do. Honestly, Ámbar was a wizard when it came to hair and makeup. And the outfit she’d given her was absolutely divine. Luna had only seen this side of Ámbar once or twice in the two years they’d known each other, and it was always beautiful to see. Ámbar had a large heart, larger than hers or Simón’s or even her mother’s, but she always hid it behind snark and sarcasm and plans. Luna thought that it was because she’d had it broken too many times before, but she could never be sure. 

Actually, someone did understand. Ámbar was the only other person who really understood her desire to find her biological parents. People always thought it was because she wasn’t happy with her adoptive parents, but Ámbar understood. You always questioned why. Why weren’t you enough? Why did they give you up? Why weren’t they willing to keep you? Who were they that didn’t want you? And no matter how much love was thrown at you, these were questions no one else had. Ever. No one else needed to think why their parents didn’t love them. No one else needed to know something so basic about themselves as their birthdays. 

Seriously, Luna didn’t even know her actual birthday. The doctors had guessed, of course, but no one would ever be able to tell her when she was born because no one knew who she was. Being Luna Valente was enough, but at the same time, it would never be enough. Luna knew she didn’t need new parents or some extra emotional connection, but she needed to know. She needed to be sure of herself and of who she was, and until she had that, she’d never be free of this crushing weight in her chest that the world refused to acknowledge.

“Lunita, are you alright? You’re awfully quiet.” Ámbar asked softly. Unlike her larger than life personality, Ámbar’s empathy was quiet. It was powerful that way. It didn’t invade or intrude, nor did it demand answers. It was a lifeline, someone holding out their hand and offering peace. Luna knew her name meant moon, but in reality, it fit Ámbar much better. Unreachable, untouchable, perfect in its solitary peace, hiding a dark power within. The sun shone bright and the fact that it could hurt you was obvious. It filled you with its warmth as easily as it killed you with its fury. But the moon? She was secretive and preferred to hide her flaws under the veneer of sheer, gleaming white. “If it’s about tonight, you don’t need to worry. It will be fine. No matter what happens, Matteo nor Simón will leave you. They love you too much for that.”

There it was again.That quiet assurance that Ámbar  _ got it _ . The number one fear of all abandoned or adopted children is that people would leave them if they weren’t deemed enough. The secret fear that Luna had nursed since finding out she was adopted when she was seven years old.  _ What if they leave me? _ What if Simón left? If Nina did? If the Jam and Roller team decided they didn’t want her? If Don Alfredo decided he didn’t want her as a fake granddaughter? If her parents decided she was too much work and sent her back to the orphanage. They could just send her away. It wouldn’t take much. 

Without harping on her for remaining quiet, Ámbar pinned Luna’s hair into place with a final bobby pin and proceeded to put an almost crown-like headband over her beautiful brown locks. “There. Perfection.” She gave Luna a small, real smile in the mirror before standing straight. “Now, let’s get going before you trip and mess up your hair. I’m not doing it again.” 

Typical, teasing Ámbar. Luna stood from the chair, and before Ámbar could protest, pulled the older girl into a giant hug. Ámbar stiffened at first, but allowed herself this luxury. “Thank you, Ámbar. For everything.”

Ámbar had relaxed into the hug, but then froze again. When was the last time someone thanked her,  _ her _ , for something that wasn’t paying for some expensive gift she was obligated to give because she was rich? It had been literal years. And Luna was none the wiser, the shorter girl holding onto Ámbar as if she were a lifeline. And at the moment, she was. Just as Luna was Ámbar’s lifeline when she was finally able to tell people about being Princess Sol, so was Ámbar to Luna now. Ámbar had been there. The pain of not knowing was so great that sometimes it consumed her every waking thought, and there was never any closure nor balm that could fix the wound carved into her soul.

“You’re welcome.” She wiped away a few tears that had formed from her thoughts and gently pulled out of the hug. “Now, let’s go have fun.”

-

The rink had been transformed into a beautiful ballroom scene. If it weren’t for the skates on Luna’s feet, she’d have forgotten that she was at the Jam and Roller instead of in the mansion’s beautiful ballroom. The beautiful string rendition of some pop song or other floated betwixt the speakers she’d become used to only hearing at competitions, and with a smile from her best friend and her boyfriend, she skated in, holding neither of her hands. She’d show no preference tonight.

After showing off for Juliana, whose favorite phrase was “You are always auditioning”, Luna pressed one foot to the ground and moved off gracefully, grateful to simply enjoy the night with her friends, a list on which she was slowly starting to include Ámbar. 

Ten or fifteen minutes later, she heard Juliana’s sharp voice call out “Gather round, gather round all!” as her cane rapped the ground. The music was cut and everyone formed a circle around her. She summoned the finalists up to her and bade them get ready for a duel where each would sing when their faces appeared on the screen. The music began again and the crowd started to nod along with the beat. 

Luna smiled at both of her boys up there, singing their hearts out. And they were good. They were really good. Both of them deserved a record deal. And when the music stopped, their chests heaved with impatience, exhaustion, adrenaline, and fear. Would they make it? Would they be the one to get a career? 

“Vidia has decided that there will be one more test.”

Luna could see the pain in their eyes. Another test? What more could they do to convince the company that they were worth the deal? That they would be the best bet to capitulate to stardom? 

“Vidia wants to compare your voices mixed in with another’s. Choose which person you would like to compete with.”

“Luna.”

“Luna.”

Ámbar outwardly rolled her eyes, because of course the best friend and the boyfriend would choose the most boring girl in the world, but inwardly, she winced. Having to choose between the two? No, Ámbar would not want to be in that position for the life of her. 

And they waited for her to choose which one. There was nothing but the sounds of fifty people breathing in sync for a prolonged moment before Juliana spoke again. “Luna may sing with one of you, but the other must choose someone else. Come, let the party resume as we discuss.”

Saved by the bell indeed. Luna must’ve been grateful for Juliana’s assistance, Ámbar thought, for she certainly would be, even if she’d never admit it. Nico came up to Ámbar before she could move close enough to hear their conversation, though, and whatever he had to say seemed pretty important.

“Ámbar, there is someone in the lobby who is looking for you. She says it’s really important that she speak with you.”

“Oh? Do you know who?” 

Nico shook his head. “No, sorry, I don’t. Would you like me to come with you?” It was a rather sweet offer, but she shook her head with an inquisitive smile and followed him out of the rink. 

In the cafe section of the establishment, Ámbar saw someone she never expected to see again. “You! What are you doing here?!”

Silvana or whatever her name was stood in the middle of the cafe, worriedly running her fingers around the strap of her purse. “I need to talk to you.”

“You called me out here for this?! My aunt told me you were a bad person, that you just wanted money from us. Leave, I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Please, you need to hear this!”

“How many ways can I say no? What language do you need to hear it in to understand? I do not want to talk to you. Leave before I call for security.” It was a bluff as the Roller didn’t have security, but she was betting that if she made a bad enough scene, the woman would be forced to leave before someone from the party came.

She secretly hoped it was Simón who would come.

“Ámbar, please, listen to me. It’s very important and we don’t have a lot of time—”

“You’re right, we don’t—”

“Please, I’ve been trying to tell you but I keep getting stopped—”

“Maybe my leaving will stop you this time—”

“You are not Sol Benson!”

It was fortunate that the music from the party covered them enough for bystanders not to notice, for screaming that someone was not the princess of Argentina was a very, very dumb move if Silvana didn’t want to attract attention.

“What? How could you say such a thing?!” Ámbar had never been more horrified in her life, and something within her cried out that maybe, just maybe, all the things that weren’t adding up were reflecting this truth, no matter its gravity.

“It’s the truth. Sharon never let me see you—”

“Of course she didn’t, you’re a madwoman, why would she?”

“Because it’s true—”

“No!”

“Ámbar, it’s the truth.”

“How do you know this?!”

“Because I’m your birth mother.”

“No! No! My aunt would never lie to me, especially not about this!” But she had lied. She’d lied to everyone for fifteen years, she’d lied to the entire world, to world governments, to the very people she ruled, about Ámbar’s existence. Or Sol’s. Or whomever she was. 

But it was to keep her safe, right?

“She would. She’s a master liar and manipulator.”

“No, you are! And you know what, you pulled me out of a party for this, this lie of all lies, and I am going back in. You’re not my birthmother. You need help. I hope you get it.”

Ámbar dried her eyes of the tears she’d tried not to allow to form and turned away from this horrendous woman. Her heels clacked against the ground until she heard a desperate scream. A scream someone doesn’t make unless it’s their last chance. “You have a star shaped birthmark on the right side of your belly!” 

And Ámbar paused.

And turned around.

And listened to someone else’s truth, not Sharon’s, for the first time in her life.

-

“Luna, will you sing with me?” Simón asked her, eyes pleading. He had no other options for a solo career. He didn’t come from money, he didn’t live in the same country he was born in, he was living for free in someone else’s house, and he barely made enough as it was as a waiter and event planner for the Jam and Roller. He wasn’t winning any monetary prizes as a skater either, even though he could, because he put his focus largely into music. He needed this. 

“Luna, please, sing with me?” Matteo pleaded, his eyes asking what his mouth did not say.  _ Choose me. Love me. Bet on me. Please. For once. _ Everyone bet on Simón. He was the surefire and the steady. You knew what you got with Simón. But with Matteo, it was hit or miss. If he loved you and thought of you as his, meaning someone he loved and cared for and wished to protect, he would be there for you until the very end. But if he didn’t you were unimportant. It wasn’t as if he thought less of people, it was simply that he liked to pour his time into people he knew would pour it back, unlike many who had hurt him before, including his father. 

Matteo needed this too. True, he had money, he had status, he would inherit a lordship and the post of ambassador one day, but all those things were still his father’s. In reality, he had very little. His father had already cut him off monetarily, he’d given up on university to focus on music, and he’d basically abandoned his son since he wouldn’t follow in his Oxford-hallowed footsteps. This was a chance to prove that he could do this on his own. That he was good enough.

“Guys, can’t I just sing with the both of you?”

“You heard Juliana,” Simón remarked emphatically. “You can’t sing with us both. You have to choose.”

“Luna, please. Sing with me.” Matteo’s voice was a bit high strung, and though a stranger could never tell, Luna could see the fear that she was going to say no flashing in his eyes.

“Lunita, you’re my best friend. Please?”

And then Luna lost it. “Would everyone just please stop putting me in this position?! I am not going to choose between the two of you, so stop asking!” She couldn’t. She couldn’t choose. She wouldn’t abandon one for the other. Never. No, not ever. She wasn’t that kind of person. She didn’t abandon people. She wasn’t her birth parents!

“Well excuse me for wanting my girlfriend by my side at one of the most important events of my life!” As usual, when hurt, Matteo lashed out in anger, hurting whoever had just hurt him and anyone else he could in the process. He skated away, angry that she couldn’t see how he felt just this once.

Simón was quiet for a moment. He desperately wanted Luna by his side for this. She’d stood by him through thick and thin, and he knew that if she could without hurting Matteo or his chances, she’d choose him. But she wouldn’t choose between them, and he had to respect that. So he made a decision that he’d made before, but that hurt just as bad. He had to let Luna go to Matteo. 

“Go to him.” 

Luna looked up, startled. “What?”

“Go to him, tell him that you’ll sing with him tonight.”

“But what about you, Simón?”

“I’ll be fine. I already have a plan.”

“Are you sure?” There was hope in Luna’s eyes that he refused to crush, and so he swallowed his own pain and fear, and smiled.

“I’m sure. Go.” 

Luna smiled that brilliant smile he loved so much and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. “Thank you, Simón. Truly. Thank you.”

Simón laughed as she skated off and headed for the locker rooms. He needed to find someone.

-

Ámbar was sobbing quietly. She never cried loudly, as a child she’d been told it was annoying, but it didn’t mean she wasn’t in as much pain.

Had Sharon really done that to her? Groomed her to be the next Queen of Argentina, inheritor of an entire land and all its glory, when she wasn’t even biologically a noble, much less a royal? Had she really tried to poise Ámbar to steal the throne of a country, to pretend to be this beloved princess for eternity, until her bones had turned to dust and all she was left with was this gnawing feeling of wrongness that hit her every time someone called her Sol, or showed her something that belonged to Sol, or had her listen to something that Sol did. 

Was this why she had no memories of Bernie and Lili? Was this why Abuelo felt more like a stranger to her than her grandfather by blood who loved her for years? Was this why Sharon was so cold and distant for so long? Was this why she never felt loved?

No, it couldn’t be true. Silvana had to be lying. There was no way that Sharon could do such a thing! Lying, sure, everyone lied, but not about this! Not about the fate of a nation! Not about who a girl’s mother is, who her father is! 

Ámbar sobbed. She couldn’t help it. Even if it wasn’t true, just the possibility for that feeling to come back, that gnawing emptiness inside her soul, eating away at her because she didn’t know, hurt more than any wound, than any heartbreak, than anything she’d ever been through.

Then the door opened, and Simón’s inquisitive voice broke the silence. “Ámbar? Are you here?”

The lights were off, and he flicked them on only to see her flinch, facing away from him, palms pressed to her face. “Ámbar?! Are you alright? What happened?!” 

She couldn’t answer him. Not sweet, overprotective Simón, who couldn’t stand lying. How could she tell him that she’d been unintentionally lying about who she was for months?! How could she tell him that she was breaking probably every law in existence by lying about having a blood claim to the throne of a country?!

“Ámbar?” Simón’s voice was soft. “What’s wrong, bonita?” Pretty! He’d called her pretty! No one had ever called her pretty before. Divine, amazing, incredible, but no one had called her pretty. She found she liked the nickname. 

She couldn’t answer him. All that came out was a broken “Simón-” before the tears started again, and her white knight couldn’t bear to see her cry like that, bless his heart. He pulled her into a hug, her back against his chest as she sobbed. He didn’t make her talk, for which she was grateful, simply holding her, soothing her, smoothing her hair back, and calling her  _ bonita _ ,  _ his _ bonita. 

Eventually someone over a loudspeaker said that it would be five minutes before the next duel began. “Bonita, I was originally here to ask you to sing with me, but I can see that you need some time to yourself.” Simón eased out of the hug and started to walk away. “It’s fine, I’ll think of something.”

And call Ámbar soft hearted, but she couldn’t let him leave like that. “Simón!” He stopped right before opening the door. “I’ll help you.”

-

Simón calmly walked in front of the crowd, though his nerves were frayed. Would this work? He’d never sang with Ámbar in front of people before. He wasn’t sure of anything at this moment, though his heart bloomed with something he really didn’t want to get into at the moment. If he thought about that too much, his head might explode. Or his rapidly beating heart.

“Simón,” Juliana was asking when his thoughts abruptly returned to the present. “Who are you singing with?”   
  
“Ámbar.”

Boy, did that draw some looks? They really shouldn’t be that shocked, right? She hadn’t exactly done anything in months, and he’d been defending her all the while. Why wouldn’t he sing with her? She wasn’t the Reina de la Pista for nothing after all. 

He helped the blonde up on stage and the beginning notes to her song “¿Cómo me ves?” began to play. Both of them vocalized along with the acoustic version of Ámbar’s preferred rock genre, which one day Simón would have to try to convince her was not as great as pop music, and began to sing. 

_ “Lo que quiera puedo ser (¿Cómo me ves?) _

_ Cuando piensas que me iré (Todo al revés) _

_ Un espejo, una señal (¿Que pasará?) _

_ Me preguntas qué será (Lo verás) _

_ [...] _

_ Siempre estará en mí tu amor _

_ Quiero decirte _

_ Cómo me ves, yo soy”. _

As the final chords rang through the silent room, Simón felt more joy in his heart than he had in a long time. He didn’t know what was wrong with Ámbar, but she was here, willing to help him despite his ties to Luna, whom he secretly believed she didn’t dislike nearly as much as she said she did, and it made him happier than he wanted to admit.

_ I am falling for her _ . The realization made him stop stone cold. He was falling in love with Ámbar Smith, also known as Sol Benson, princess of Argentina.

Holy sh—

-

Luna smiled widely. She could see from the look on Simón’s face that he’d had the time of his life up there, and he’d done impeccably well. She really hoped that somehow, both of them could win the prize, but Luna knew better. No way a hardball business like Vidia was going to create a second contract unless they believed that both of them had incredible star potential. And when did a business, even a music business, ever bet on an artist’s soul?

Suddenly, Matteo was taking her hand and pulling her to the middle of the rink, where they’d asked everyone to move back and give them room. They were going to dance on skates, their signature routine, and sing something he’d written for her nearly a year ago. She only hoped it would be good enough for him to win. She’d die of guilt if she were the reason why he lost.

As they started to clap along with the music, hoping the audience would key into it (and clap on beat for once), Luna’s nerves rattled. Matteo’s were probably on fire, as he exuded his Chico Fresa confidence. Normally, she despised when the old Matteo would come back, even for a little bit, but for the moment, she could use his courage. 

_ (They called her brave, but really, she was a coward.) _

Once she was able to open her mouth to sing her lines, and her feet to fly on wheels, nothing else mattered to Luna. She could barely pay attention to Matteo, her peripheral vision and instinct guiding her in a roller-skating version of a slow dance. 

_ “Busco una salida _

_ Y no entiendo lo que pasa _

_ Y aunque sé que soy valiente tiembla mi voz _

_ [...] _

_ Qué más da _

_ Lo que siento es diferente si tu estas _

_ No me importa lo que tienes para dar _

_ En tus ojos puedo estar _

_ Si me miras no precisas hablar _

_ Tal vez eres _

_ Mi otra mitad”. _

It didn’t take much acting to stare lovingly into her boyfriend, her Chico Fresa’s, expressive eyes. Matteo didn’t say what he felt very well, instead preferring to show it. He was always touching her, a hug or a kiss or an arm around her shoulders. But those eyes. If you needed to know what he felt, or what he was thinking, you looked into his eyes. 

And that smile he gave her, not the flashy, fresa one for the cameras, rather he gave her a small, real smile that shone through him. 

If she hadn’t been already, Luna would have said that she was falling in love with him. 

-

It was the best possible outcome for Luna. Really, the both of them winning record deals? Not having to choose? Not losing somebody? It was a one in a million miracle, and she was gonna take it. 

The silly smile on her face stayed even as she slid into the car and waited for Ámbar. Really, how could she not smile? It was perfect. The night was perfect, or as perfect as it could get, anyways, and she really needed a night like tonight.

Ámbar slid in a few moments later, and after telling Tino to return to the mansion as quickly as possible, pushed the button for the divider to rise. 

It was silent for a heartbeat. Then two. By the third one, Ámbar was in tears, and Luna was at a loss for words. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, a huge shout out to the Soy Luna discord server for their love and support for this fic. I love you guys!
> 
> Here is where we slowly start to depart from canon. The next chapter will have much, much less canon and more of this fun AU.
> 
> Enjoy!


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